Further Examining the Construct Validity of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) Personality Disorder Spectra Scales

Abstract

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) Personality Disorder (PD) Spectra scales reflect a recent effort to dimensionally measure Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5-based personality disorders. Initial studies generally support the sound psychometric properties of most scales, although the need to continue cross-validating and expanding the known empirical correlates of these scales remains. The goal of the current investigation was to replicate and extend previous research on MMPI-2-RF PD Spectra scale scores and further examine their construct validity. Using a sample of 765 undergraduate students (69.3% female; M_age = 19.95; 73.3% White), zero-order correlations between scores on MMPI-2-RF PD Spectra scales and measures of personality and psychopathology variables were calculated. Median convergent and discriminant correlations were compared using Fisher’s r-to-z tests. Results indicated that hypothesized convergent associations were meaningfully stronger in magnitude than hypothesized discriminant ones, with exceptions to scales measuring Obsessive-Compulsive, Narcissistic, and Paranoid PDs. Findings generally supported the construct validity of MMPI-2-RF PD Spectra scale scores. Implications for clinical practice and research, methodological limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Notes

1 Hypothesized negative correlations are indicated with the symbol “(-)” in-text.